Tigers Release Brandon Inge

The Tigers announced that they've released infielder Brandon Inge (Twitter link). Detroit will call up Brad Eldred to take Inge's place on the active roster.

Inge, the Tigers' primary third baseman for much of the past eight seasons, was the team's longest tenured player. However, the Tigers didn't have an obvious role for him after signing Prince Fielder and moving Miguel Cabrera to third base. The ever-versatile Inge learned second base this Spring Training, earning praise from his bosses for his defensive work. However, he has just two hits in 20 trips to the plate so far this season and he posted a .548 OPS last year, so the Tigers weren't getting much from him on offense.

Inge, an All-Star in 2009, has two 27-homer seasons to his name. He has considerable MLB experience at third, catcher and center field, plus recent experience as a second baseman. I'd be surprised if teams view him as anything but a third baseman, though. Inge will earn $5.5MM this season and his contract includes a $6MM club option ($500K) buyout for 2012.

Inge made it clear that he wants to continue playing, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com (via Twitter). Any team that signs him would only owe him a pro-rated portion of the MLB minimum for the remainder of the season. Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com first reported the news (Twitterlinks).

Shame he just wouldn’t retire and the FO agree to pay him under the table. Like to see people proud like him not just get dumped like that, but yeah.. He has looked just awful with the stick for a couple of years. If he could catch and play defense still as good as he can play 3b, probably could find a gig as a b/u catcher still, but not sure anyone will really want him as bad as he is at the plate.

Really hope he takes the Posada/Tek/Rodriquez route and just retires as a good player who just hangs it up.

You must remember (or not want to) another Inge from the mid 2000’s. That guy had good power from the R/S, actually hit for *some* avg and was as good with the glove as anyone. Only after around ’08 did he start slipping with the bat (he was hurt) then he hurt his back in 2010, tried to play through it.. Which many in the game now would rather lie around on the DL instead and has been a shell of himself since..

Have always respected those gritty types and yes.. He was a good player for 3-5 seasons.

I always wanted Inge on the Phillies, however at this point, the glass is definitively half empty.

My biggest concern is that this does not foreshadow what is to become of Chase Utley. Inge had the same injury that Utley is currently rehabbing, and it is a degenerative condition. Luckily Utley is only under contract for one more year anyway, so while we lose what he brings to the table, at least we are not in the financial dire straits that Howard’s deal appears to be.

normally i HATE citing errors when it comes to defense. but our 3rd basemen have been botching routine plays far too much this year. there have even been plays that weren’t called errors that should’ve been. just the defense alone would make inge a huge upgrade

He didn’t spell a single word wrong in his post. His grammar is awful, but his spelling is just fine. I figured I’d point that out seeing as you feel compelled to carp on people instead of making any valid points or answering his question.

Now that his salary is on the Tigers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a desperate NL team give him a shot. By the metrics, Inge was a plus defensive player last year. You get him in some games but limit his ABs and you might get lucky. Personally, I think his ship has sailed. Glad I got to see his great season defensively in 06.

Plenty of teams could use defensive depth at third base, with the potential for some power, anyway. Third base is pretty shallow, and it never hurts to have a guy who has experience behind the plate too. For that price, I’m sure Inge won’t be a free agent for too long.

The real reason for the move was to get Eldred on the major league team. He has been ripping the cover off of the ball in AAA. 13 homeruns so far? Yikes! Too bad he is in his 30s already. But definitely a better option off the bench offensively.

Now see if I am the Orioles, I would have picked up Inge over Hall off the waiver wire. Also, I am shocked how this was handled, he was a Tiger his whole career and now he was dumped unceremoniously. I know this is a business, but this could have been handled just a little bit better. Also, The Tigers owner must either enjoy spending money or throwing it out the window. I am unsure as to what his financial people are advising him these days. Nothing like spending money in buckets and getting back revenue in thimbles.

What were the Tigers to do? Hold a press conference to announce the release of a non-hitting back-up who miraculously wasn’t released last season? I think the franchise did him more than a few favors over the years, and certainly owed him nothing more than what he already got.

He complained when he lost his 3B job to Cabby a few years ago, complained about being a back-up catcher when he was asked to do that, whined when Fielder was signed because he knew he was going to lose his starting gig again, so he’s not exactly a team player. They should’ve released him with a couple of weeks left in spring training instead of giving him hope that he had a legit chance of contributing to the ’12 squad.

Any team that signs him better not hope for a second that Inge still has “power” in his bat. He’ll swing like he does, but he’ll almost always whiff and walk back to the dugout like he JUST missed it. His main problem is that he actually thinks he IS a power-hitter. He definitely isn’t (home-run derby, anyone? How many did he hit that year?). His once-stellar defense is all gone now, so give up the hope for some web-gems flying out of his glove.

This is a bit harsh. The best point in here is that the Tigers did quite a lot for Brandon Inge over the years. Like giving him a two-year, $11M contract after 2010, when he was clearly on the decline. In the end, all that matters is that, Inge will always be thought of fondly by Tigers fans, not just because he was one of the better players on the 2006 team, but also because he was there in 2003. Anyone who was part of that team should have his number retired. Yes, including Nate Cornejo.

I’m not trying to kick the guy while he’s down, but for someone to say he was “dumped unceremoniously” is a flat-out exaggeration.

Inge stunk it up bad last season, more than usual. Most teams would’ve released him then, but not us. Pizza Mike and the powers-that-be allowed Brandon to report to Toledo, taking precious at-bats away from developing players, to accommodate him and to honor what he had done for us in the past. He was then allowed to come back to Detroit, stink it up some more, attend spring training without having a position to play, stink it up ALL spring, take at-bats and defensive reps away from guys like Raburn (who needs all the practice he can get), then take a roster spot from a young buck that deserved it more and had earned it.

I’d say Inge was given EVERY chance to succeed, even allowing him to hurt the team (starting at DH? What a joke, Leyland). He’s athletic, and would make a worthy back-up for some non-playoff team, but not for a team with a sky-high payroll and huge expectations and aspirations of a World Series title. He’s still going to get his millions, and you can bet your bottom that if the Tigers win it all this season, they’ll be sending Inge a ring too. Dumped unceremoniously? No. I’d say the team spoiled him rotten, but just couldn’t handle the smell any longer.

Freddy Galvis has been better than Utley defensively and maybe every other 2nd baseman in baseball. His offense is suspect but you’re going to loose so much defensively if you move Polanco back to second… he doesn’t have any range anymore.

Orr’s up here in the event Jimmy goes down and they have to move Freddy over in the middle of a game.

It was time! As much as he does for Detroit off the field, his performance on the field couldn’t save his job. Raburn could have gone in for him defensively at 2B. One of his 2 hits was a wind blown fly ball which Sanders failed to catch. His checked swing third strikes are legendary in Detroit, along with his pop outs with the bases loaded. Yes, he is still a solid defensive 3B, but I would expect (former Tiger) Jack Hanahan to put up better offensive numbers. There is no place to play him in the Tigers Lineup, so it was time.

Last year, though, he finished strong, including the playoffs. Hard to cut a guy you owe $5.5M loose when there isn’t a 3B waiting in the wings. But they should have cut or traded Inge during spring training after Fielder was signed. It clearly wasn’t going to end well. But maybe they wanted to keep him around as insurance to play 3B in the event Cabrera couldn’t hack it or someone got hurt…

Strong? 15 hits from late August to the end of September isn’t really a strong finish, unless you’re talking about Inge. Strong for him, absolutely. Not sure what you mean about not having a 3B waiting in the wings. Cabby isn’t a great fielder, but his bat makes up for his lack of defense (which isn’t as bad as the media wants us to believe it is). He’ll suffice until uber-prospect Nick Castellanos (only 19 at the moment) is ready. Two or three years away from the bigs max. I don’t think the release of Inge is a huge risk to take.

I’m embarrassed to be a tigers fan. We have the most classless fans you could ask for. Inge has spent parts of 12 seasons as a tiger and the fans proceed to boo him after getting a base hit. We drafted him in 1998 he debuted in 2001 he has and always will be a tiger. And to all of you tigers fans on this website cheering anout this news shame on you inge gave it his all and thats all that you can ask for. Good luck wherever you go Inge hoping you can turn it around.

Again with the A’s; because he’s cheap and on a one-year term inge could do and would do as an upgrade over the AAA fodder cloggingup the lineup. But Beane’s gotta work the phone lines on moving some of that reliever depth for someone who can do the job long term — dominguez? darnell? gillaspie? bueller?

He had a very solid ten year career that went 12 years….he’ll catch on in the NL I bet. 18th most PAs by a Tiger ever. Similar WAR to Jim Northrup and Harvey Kuenn in similar PAs. Aurelio Rodriguez was adored as a glove only 3b for the Tigers back in the day, Inge at least hit the ball out with some regularity… really should have a GG, but we know that award is a joke nowadays…good luck Brandon….now, Eldred at DH means Raburn at 2b and Fat Geisha in LF everyday until Dirks is back…urgh…that will be ugly. I’d like to see Worth get a shot too, he’s a guy the Twins would develop as a positive asset, like Punto etc etc and he’s better than that guy….but yeah, not much ready at the MiLB level on offense until 2014 with Collins/Fields/Garcia for LF and Castellanos for 3b…gotta find long term middle infield starters via trade…..